Zardari to visit Turkmenistan to attend 'Nowruz Festival'

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is scheduled to visit Turkmenistan today to attend the 'International Nowruz Festival', which will also be attended by other heads of state of the region.
The Nowruz Festival on March 21, marking the beginning of new year according to the regional calendar, will also be attended by leaders and representatives from Tajikistan, Iran and Afghanistan and high-ranking delegations from other Central Asian states.
During his stay in Asghabat, Zardari will hold a meeting with his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov, officials said.
Despite his busy schedule in preparation of the forthcoming general elections, Zardari's visit reflected the importance Pakistan accords to its ties with Central Asian countries, officials said.

They said the event in Asghabat will help promote multilateral ties with the Central Asian states.
The delegates will also participate in an international conference with a theme 'peace and humanity'.
Zardari participated in the Nowruz Festival in Dushanbe, Tajikistan last year. The decision to hold the event this year in Turkmenistan was taken at a conference held in Dushanbe last year. The conference also agreed that the 2014 Nowruz Festival would be organised in the Afghan capital Kabul.
Nowruz marks a Spring Holiday that has been celebrated for over 5000 years. The festivities have traditionally been held in Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Georgia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.